1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to minimally invasive surgery. More particularly, the invention relates to a pericardial retractor for use in endoscopic heart surgery.
2. State of the Art
When performing surgery it is sometimes necessary to open and retract soft tissues that envelop or block access to the organs or structures to be operated on. For example, in endoscopic heart surgery it is necessary to suspend the pericardium in order to access the heart. However, tissue retraction is difficult in minimally invasive or endoscopic surgery because of the limits of space and the small number of entry sites.
Several devices exist for the retraction of tissue during endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery. These devices are designed to be delivered into the body through a small incision or through an introduction tube which passes through a small incision. Typically, the retraction devices include a deployable member which is attached to a string or cable. After the device is deployed on the distal side of soft tissue, the string is pulled out of the body, thereby lifting the tissue. (As used herein, the term “distal” means farther from the practitioner and the term “proximal” means closer to the practitioner.) When the tissue is sufficiently retracted, the device is held in place by clamping the string with a hemostat or other type of clamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,939 to Failla discloses several complex deployable devices. Some of them are difficult to deploy and most of them are difficult to remove when surgery is complete.